Fighting the blight: Neglected downtown looking for help from city hall

The blight in downtown Windsor — and the struggle to fight it — can be illustrated by a lone orange traffic cone that replaced a streetlight pole smashed in an Enwin truck accident nine months ago.

Located steps away from one of downtown Windsor’s main intersections, it has been ignored by city officials and there’s little chance the missing decorative four-globe sidewalk light pole will be replaced anytime soon.

An orange cone sits on top of a light post outlet on University Avenue East in downtown Windsor, Thursday, July 27, 2017.Dax Melmer /
Windsor Star

Asked Thursday about its repair status, a city engineer responsible for such sidewalk light replacements told the Star there are no replacement parts. But there are also no plans and no money to fix the situation.

“I’d like to do better,” said Tiffany Pocock.

Downtown Windsor’s alleys — an ongoing source of complaints over smelly trash, neglect and crime — are once again in the spotlight with almost daily discoveries of junkie needles and discarded furniture and garbage.

“There’s only so much in the budget for alley maintenance … alleys are certainly not getting the attention they need,” said Dwayne Dawson, executive director of operations with the city’s public works department.

A heap of garbage full of Starbucks containers lies in the alley between Ouellette Avenue and Pelissier Street, south of University Avenue in downtown Windsor, Thursday, July 27, 2017.Dax Melmer /
Windsor Star

Hidden away from most eyes, the downtown’s alleys are one thing, but even its main street draws criticism.

A stroll down Ouellette Avenue reveals litter on the ground and shrubbery growing through cracks in the sidewalk. Ornamental planters designed to add streetscape beauty overflow with weeds instead.

“It’s a mess — I think (the city) needs to do more,” said Windsor’s Terry Taggart. “The streets are terrible … I’m sure they could do a better job.”

“In a lot of ways, Windsor is a really pretty place, especially down by the waterfront,” said Frode Nilsen.

Discarded garbage and mattresses lie in the alley between Ouellette Avenue and Pelissier Street, south of University Avenue in downtown Windsor, Thursday, July 27, 2017.Dax Melmer /
Windsor Star

But to get to the river, visitors must traverse the downtown and parts of it are a “mess” and in disrepair, said Nilsen, one of several pedestrians asked Thursday to comment on the state of the core.

City administrators say most of the complaints of litter, blight and neglect concern Wards 2, 3 and 4. But Ward 4 Coun. Chris Holt said it’s time for the rest of Windsor to wake up to the fact that it’s a problem affecting the entire municipality.

“When this happens — when the core of the city becomes derelict, a dumping ground, perceived as unsafe — it lowers property values, and somebody has to pick up that slack,” said Holt.

An office chair lies on the sidewalk next to a bed of weeds on Ouellette Avenue in downtown Windsor, Thursday, July 27, 2017.Dax Melmer /
Windsor Star

For years now, municipal politicians have boasted about holding the line on spending, he said, but as property values decline in the downtown and other neglected areas, more of the municipal tax burden shifts to homeowners in South and East Windsor, where property values are soaring.

“People downtown want to pay their fair share of the pie, but we have to invest in the downtown,” said Coun. Rino Bortolin, whose Ward 3 includes the downtown. He accuses the council majority of being “short-sighted” in rejecting budgetary “investment” requests that would help turn the fortunes of Windsor’s core.

After two years of lobbying, council finally approved a bulk item pickup to address alley dumping, but users have to pay. Bortolin said that cost has meant that alleys continue to be dumping grounds for mattresses, couches, toilets and other refuse.

Overgrown weeds take over a grate on the sidewalk of Ouellette Avenue in downtown Windsor, Thursday, July 27, 2017.Dax Melmer /
Windsor Star

Enforcement is complaint-driven, but administration said inspectors designated to follow up on those complaints are stretched thin. And even when there is an official response to a 311 call, Holt and Bortolin said it’s common for the targeted landlord to simply move the offending mattress or sofa a few properties further down the alley. Holt said the articles eventually end up on the street, and then it’s the city’s garbage to pick up.

“We just don’t have enough inspectors,” said Bortolin. He wants free bulk item pickup, or at least smaller pickup fees, for those on lower incomes and more pro-active enforcement to pursue offenders.

“When there’s no enforcement, that’s what you’re going to have — the enforcement is just not there,” said Ron Balla, owner of The Coffee Exchange on Ouellette Avenue.

Balla said it is “dejecting” to see how some people treat the downtown — both those living there and those operating businesses. At his own location, which includes patio furniture on the sidewalk, staff clean outside three times daily. And “we do the alley once a week — just cleaning up stuff.”

“I think a lot of people aren’t cognizant of the importance of doing this … it shows respect for the neighbourhood,” he said.

But Balla, a board member of the Downtown Windsor BIA, also blames “poor decision-making” by city council for some of the blight and neglect.

“We’re doing the opposite of what other cities are doing,” he said.

“This won’t go away by itself,” said Holt, adding that enforcement is key. Council agreed to Holt’s request one year for a $5,000 top-up to bylaw enforcement to pay for some overtime work and evening hours.

“It was a success,” said Holt. His same request the following year was rejected.

Back alley dumping “is a city responsibility,” Bortolin said. “It’s a major issue that has repercussions elsewhere in the city.”

By not keeping alleys well-lit, not maintaining them or cleaning out trash when it appears, “they become havens for crime and drug activity — it’s all tied together,” he said.

Overgrown weeds line an abandoned building off of Ferry Street in downtown Windsor, Thursday, July 27, 2017.Dax Melmer /
Windsor Star

Asked Thursday about the repair status of that orange cone on University Avenue just east of Ouellette, Enwin president and CEO Helga Reidel said that, while the utility company does the work putting up any new pole, the city needs to select what gets erected, and “our team is waiting to hear from the city as to what they want to have go up there.”

Pocock said there are no spare parts for that style of 1980s-era pedestrian lamp that was toppled and, even if there were, there’s no budget to erect a new one.

Similar traffic cones stand in for other missing pedestrian light standards across the downtown. Pocock said efforts are made to replace them as streetscaping projects are carried out, but, “technically, pedestrian lighting is not required under (Windsor’s) street lighting policy.”

According to city staffers, it’s up to council and the city’s budget-makers to replace the sidewalk traffic cones.

A bed of weeds is pictured in the sidewalk planters next to a bus stop on Ouellette Avenue in downtown Windsor on Thursday.Dax Melmer /
Windsor Star

Ron Balla, owner of the Coffee Exchange, is pictured broom in hand outside his business, Thursday, July 27, 2017. Balla believes business owners as well as the city should do more to maintain their businesses, in the front and the back.Dax Melmer /
Windsor Star

Comments

We encourage all readers to share their views on our articles and blog posts. We are committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion, so we ask you to avoid personal attacks, and please keep your comments relevant and respectful. If you encounter a comment that is abusive, click the "X" in the upper right corner of the comment box to report spam or abuse. We are using Facebook commenting. Visit our FAQ page for more information.

Almost Done!

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Market to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.